Binders

[Fueling Around]

here's a discussion we had back in 2015

Calling all sausage makers...Sausage binders. Why we use them and why we dont. Your thoughts and res

I open this discussion to better understand of why some sausage makers use binders and some sausage makers don't. Would like to hear what everyone has to say . Joe

www.smokingmeatforums.com

So has your stance chased on the use of binders?
I didn't see phosphates in the thread?

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

Here is what happens when you grind meat at higher than optimal temps, from @Cajuneric



Most of the dry cured meats and sausages we enjoy today were the result of safely preserving meats for later consumption before there was such a thing as refrigeration and was normally done in cool/cold weather.i

Thanks for the link! I just discovered that channel maybe a month ago. Excellent videos. It's amazing how much easier this info is to find these days from when I started making sausage.

 

[Tinner340]

I agree with Dave in AZ 100%. The reason I use a binder is to help reduce fat-out and retain moisture at higher temps. I like finishing my sausages and snack sticks at 155*to 158*. I can run my smoker up to 185* without concern.
A relative of mine owns and operates a commercial packing company. To keep up with demand he poches his sausages to finish. The finish temperature of all his product is 160*, he couldn't do that without a binder.

 

[boykjo]

So has your stance chased on the use of binders?
I didn't see phosphates in the thread?

No. Rarely use a binder.
I would like to mention that not chilling your meat before you grind doesnt mean you'll have a poor bind. Keeping meat temperature low is good practice but dont forget equipmet can be a major factor in getting a good bind. A grinder that is dull, slow and generates a lot of heat along with smear will contribute to a poor bind. IMO that is where chilling can be benificial. Using a quality sharp grinder will greatly improve the texture and bind within the sausages that are processed.

Editted

 

[chopsaw]

I try to keep what I'm working with under 40 degrees .
5lbs. pork cubed , seasoned and in the meat fridge overnight .
Ready to grind .

It doesn't take but a minute or 2 to get this done . You can see the temp increase . So this gets covered and back in the fridge before mixing , because the heat in my hands will raise the temp over 40 .

Chilled back down and mixed . Has a great bind with no binder .

 

[Tinner340]

I pull my frozen meat form the freezer the day before and place it in the fridge. By about 1pm the next day it is ready to process. It is still mostly frozen and relatively hard to cube.

 

[DougE]

No. Rarely use a binder.

I don't use them most of the time either. In fact, that last kielbasa I did was the first time I used one. NFDM was in the recipe, but I subbed in potato starch, since I had it. It turned out fine, but I expect it would have without the potato starch.

I've made quite a bit of sausage at this point, and only had fat out in one batch, and I expect that was an issue of the sausages getting too hot, and nothing more.